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Li Yuanqing picked up the tobacco bag, put it to his mouth and smelled it.

Yang Xiaochuan smiled hurriedly and took out a few pieces of tobacco leaf paper, "Commander, do you want to try it?"

Li Yuanqing smiled: "This paper is quite interesting."

Yang Xiaochuan smiled hurriedly and took the tobacco bag, took out some tobacco leaves, carefully placed them on the paper, and explained with a smile: "Commander, this is a skill that young men learned from Chinese businessmen in Nanyang. This thing is better than cigars." But it’s much cheaper.”

While he was talking, Yang Xiaochuan had already rolled up a cigarette and handed it to Li Yuanqing respectfully. Then he helped him roll a cigarette quickly, took the candle, carefully lit it for Li Yuanqing first, and then lit it for himself. He took a deep breath and said with a smile: "Commander, how do you like the taste first? This is the tobacco leaves that I have carefully roasted."

Li Yuanqing took a faint breath and frowned slightly, but relaxed after a moment.

Although it is already a good tobacco leaf, the taste is a bit pungent. If compared with the tobacco of later generations, the strength is probably at least several orders of magnitude higher.

But compared to Cuban cigars, the taste is still slightly more elegant, but it is definitely not as sustained and rich as the taste of cigars.

Of course, Li Yuanqing also understood very well.

The tobacco that China supplied to China in later generations was precipitated and formulated through several processes. In fact, it deviated from the taste of tobacco by at least 30 to 40%, or even more.

As for those imported cigarettes, such as Lao Maozi's cigarettes and American cigarettes, they have to pay more attention to the taste of the tobacco itself. Even old smokers may not be able to accept it when they come into contact with it.

Two choices, two flavors, it’s hard to say which one is better and which one is worse.

I don’t know what the status of Chinese tobacco is in the United States, but it is quite popular in Lao Maozi.

At the same time, China Tobacco's profits are much higher than elsewhere.

After a while, Li Yuanqing took another sip, tasted it carefully, and said with a smile: "It's not bad. It's several grades better than our local dry tobacco."

Yang Xiaochuan hurriedly smiled and said: "Commander, I have been thinking about this all the way. This is a good deal. The quality of dry tobacco is poor and the output is low, but there are many people in demand. And this tobacco leaf tastes better than ordinary dry tobacco leaves. It’s much better. If it can form an industry, it may be able to impact our internal market in Ming Dynasty.”

Li Yuanqing couldn't help but smile: "Xiaozhou, you are really clever. This matter is very good. However, I still need to think carefully about how to operate it."

…………

Yang Xiaochuan left excitedly, and Li Yuanqing returned to the inner study, playing with the tobacco leaves in his hand, but fell into deep thought.

In fact, as early as a few years ago, when he went to Nanyang, Li Yuanqing had already come into contact with the American tobacco brought by Spanish and Portuguese colonists, both good and bad.

The Ming Dynasty, or the Chinese nation, has a very long history of smoking tobacco.

With the experience of later generations, Li Yuanqing understood very well that the tobacco industry is definitely one of the most profitable industries in the world.

To a certain extent, I'm afraid that I'll have to live longer and live longer.

Because tobacco has a very strong vitality, it is much easier to maintain than opium poppies.

Nowadays, people in the Ming Dynasty smoked a lot of dry cigarettes. They just planted some in their own fields and used them as medicine inducers or for recreation.

There is demand and spread, but it has not yet reached scale.

And with Li Yuanqing's current strength, once it reaches a large scale, it will be difficult not to make money.

But the most critical issue is that the harm of tobacco has been recognized as a chronic disease of the world in later generations. If it is scaled up, obviously... this is not a very beneficial thing...

However, according to the industrial level of Changsheng Island at this time, if the surplus labor force is used to produce tobacco on a large scale, it will really have a unique advantage...

After thinking carefully, Li Yuanqing suddenly smiled.

Existence is reasonable.

If Li Yuanqing doesn't do this, someone will do it sooner or later.

Especially the aristocracy of the Ming Dynasty.

Instead of letting them waste their money on those illusory things, how about letting them circulate the money in their hands to Li Yuanqing's hands?

The tobacco leaves are left to the common people. The fine ones are left to them. They can be packaged a little more finely...

In particular, Li Yuanqing was an old smoker in later generations and was very familiar with the recipes and recipes...

…………

In the next few days, Li Yuanqing was deeply busy.

The return of the fleet wanted to inject a dose of stimulant into Changsheng Island and the entire southern Liaoning.

Especially with these more than 4.5 million taels of cash in hand, Li Yuanqing's control over people's hearts and the overall situation is stronger and will be more powerful.

However, the complicated social and appeasing work made Li Yuanqing want to split himself in half.

After five or six days of personal practice by Li Yuanqing, he gradually figured out the path to his tobacco business.

In the conference room of the military academy.

Three rows of carefully packaged cigarettes were placed on the large table.

Each one is about half a foot or about twenty centimeters, and is divided into three levels: upper, middle and lower.

Next to them, Chen Zhong, Shang Laoliu, Ma Guanjia, Xu Heizi, Huang Guoshan, Li Sansheng, Yang Xiaochuan and many other senior generals on the island were all listed.

Li Yuanqing smiled and greeted Yang Lei: "Give brothers one piece of each. Let's try how it tastes."

Yang Lei hurriedly distributed the cigarettes himself, and soon the room began to fill with smoke.

Chen Zhong couldn't help but smile and said: "Yuan Qing, I feel that this thing is better than cigars. The taste of cigars is really a bit too strong. This thing is more suitable for my taste, Lao Chen."

Shang Laoliu also smiled and said: "Yuan Qing, what Chen Shuai said is right. The taste of cigars is too strong and heavy. If you have nothing to do, it's okay to smoke one. If you have something to think about, smoke one, I'm afraid it will give you a headache. By the way,

Yuanqing, how much do these cigarettes cost?"

Li Yuanqing smiled and said: "Let's not talk about the money in a hurry. Let's try the three grades of tobacco first. What's the difference?"

Everyone tasted it carefully again, and Li Sansheng said with a smile: "Commander, I am humble, but I feel that this lowest-grade tobacco is more down-to-earth. The main thing is that the medium and high-grade tobacco seems to have something added in it.

On the contrary, it is more pure than the taste of inferior tobacco."

Li Yuanqing laughed loudly: "Sansheng, you are an expert. That's right. There have indeed been improvements in the medium and fine tobaccos. What do you think?"

Chen Zhong smiled and said: "Yuan Qing, I still prefer fine tobacco. Because this fine tobacco is more fragrant and has a softer taste. It suits my temper."

Butler Ma smiled and said: "Commander, everyone, I prefer this medium tobacco. Chen Shuai and Shang Ye said that it is just right to take into account both of them!"

Everyone was also aroused and expressed their opinions one after another. For a while, the atmosphere in the venue was extremely lively.

After a while, Chen Zhong quickly followed Li Yuanqing to the dormitory where they were temporarily resting. He couldn't help but chuckled: "Yuan Qing, do you want to make a fuss about this tobacco?"

Li Yuanqing smiled and said, "What do you think, brother?"

Chen Zhong chuckled and said: "Yuan Qing, it's certainly a good thing to be able to make money. But I don't know what the cost is?"

Li Yuanqing smiled and said, "One cigar is almost as good as twenty sticks of fine tobacco."

"What?"

Chen Zhong was stunned. He never imagined that this thing... would be so different. "Yuan Qing, you, are you not trying to scare me? Is there such a big difference?"

Li Yuanqing smiled and said: "Brother, actually, the cost of this cigar may not be so exaggerated. It's just that most of the profits are in the hands of the Spaniards. Do you think it is not expensive?"

Chen Zhong also reacted, but he frowned and said: "Yuan Qing, I just don't know if we can grow these tobaccos in Liaoning."

Li Yuanqing couldn't help laughing.

Coming from later generations, how could he not know whether tobacco could be grown here.

You know, in later generations, several large tobacco companies in Liaodi and Shandong were simply giants... Even an ordinary tobacco farmer's annual income was at least one or two times higher than that of ordinary crops.

Times, even two or three times.

However, at this time, in Changsheng Island and southern Liaoning, Li Yuanqing obviously would not promote these tobaccos to the people so quickly.

After all, the Ming Dynasty was still a purely agricultural society.

Although Changsheng Island has become highly commercialized, the key point is that in this era, it is difficult to buy food even if you have money.

Especially at critical times.

Due to its unique geographical advantages, islands are the best place to grow these things.

Otherwise, wouldn’t such slave labor be wasted?

"Brother, I have already given some thought to this matter, but it is not too mature yet. We can discuss it carefully."

…………

Although tobacco trading is hugely profitable, it will take time to spread.

Li Yuanqing would not shy away from Chen Zhong on this matter, because the situation at this time was not stable enough, and Li Yuanqing needed Chen Zhong to help him worry about more operations.

Li Yuanqing also needed something to tie Chen Zhong more firmly to his chariot.

In a blink of an eye, we have reached the end of February and will soon enter the beginning of March.

After careful consideration, Li Yuanqing also replied to Emperor Chongzhen and the court.

Especially the letter to Emperor Chongzhen, Li Yuanqing wrote quite emotionally.

In the letter, Li Yuanqing made it clear that due to years of fierce fighting and the onset of old injuries, his body had begun to reveal many stubborn diseases, which were causing unbearable pain.

He, Li Yuanqing, was no longer able to supervise the entire war in southern Liaoning. He hoped that Emperor Chongzhen would choose a wise man to supervise the war in Liao, so as not to delay the country and the country.

Although Changsheng Island is a bitterly cold place, Li Yuanqing has been on Changsheng Island for many years and has adapted to the water, soil and climate here.

If the emperor allows it, Li Yuanqing will recuperate on Changsheng Island, plan for recovery, and strive to get well as soon as possible before serving the emperor again.

If the emperor had other plans, Li Yuanqing was willing to give up the position of Changsheng Island, just asking the emperor to give him a place with a warm climate where he could quietly cultivate his body.

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Chapter completed!